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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25542808">reading out loud</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/roboo/pseuds/roboo'>roboo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Library, Awkward Flirting, Cute, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Original Character(s), Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious Ushijima Wakatoshi, Short &amp; Sweet, Soft Ushijima Wakatoshi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:54:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25542808</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/roboo/pseuds/roboo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ushijima's wholesome secret leads to him meeting the perfect guy. Unfortunately, Ushijima is resistant to change and dense as a black hole.<br/>Based on a true story!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>112</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>reading out loud</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Contrary to popular belief, Wakatoshi Ushijima’s world was not entirely confined to a volleyball court. Sure, he slept with a volleyball in his bed, he’d invested a small fortune in volleyball shoes and kneepads, and he spent nearly every waking moment thinking about volleyball. <em> Nearly </em> every moment. During his occasional breaks from practicing serves or spikes—even monsters need breaks—Ushijima had a secret hobby.</p><p>He first started visiting the local library when he was a child. The books didn’t particularly interest him, but the librarian kindly supplied him with endless coloring sheets and that was enough to forever endear the place to him. As Ushijima got older, he didn’t stop going to the library: he simply took on a new role as a volunteer. </p><p>Over the years, Saturday became his favorite day of the week: Ushijima would wake up at an unholy hour and finish his jog before the sun rose, head to the gym to practice, and in the afternoon, he’d visit his second home (the volleyball court being his first, of course). That had been his routine for years, and he didn’t see a reason to change it.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>“Could you move the table over there, dear? Oh, thank you,” Sachiko, the elderly librarian, said from behind the front desk. </p><p>Ushijima silently arranged the furniture in preparation for the afternoon read-aloud session. He easily picked up the heavy wooden table and, turning rather quickly, nearly bumped into a tall redhead, who narrowly avoided being whacked in the spleen.</p><p>“Whoa there, buddy! You’ve got quite the weapon in your hands!”</p><p>“It’s a table, not a weapon.” Ushijima blinked at him, his expression blank as a clean chalkboard. He placed the table down where Sachiko had indicated. </p><p>“You weren’t kidding when you said he was funny, Saichi-sensei,” the lanky man said with a smile. He rolled out a brightly colored rug on the floor where the table had been. </p><p>“Remember to use your indoor voices, dears.” Sachiko slowly walked out from behind her desk, her cane making a soft <em> thud thud </em>against the grey carpet. “Ushijima, this is Tendou Satori. I don’t believe you two have met yet. He usually works here during the week, but he decided to stop by today to read to the kids. Isn’t that just lovely?”</p><p>Ever a man of few words, Ushijima merely nodded in response. Sachiko shuffled her way into the tiny break room at the back of the library. Continuing to prepare the room for storytime, Tendou kept sneaking glances at the mean-looking fellow with dark olive hair. Oblivious as he may be, Ushijima eventually picked up on it.</p><p>“Are you looking for something?” He said, eyes piercing through Tendou’s skull. Unfazed, the redhead stared right back.</p><p>“Just my next date,” Tendou flashed a lazy grin. </p><p>“There’s a calendar on the wall over there. Today’s the 12th, if you don’t know what the date is.” Ushijima pointed at a bulletin board with a calendar and various announcements posted to it. He turned and began shelving books, but he could still feel those eyes on the back of his head.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Currently kneeling at the short table typically used by the little kids for their arts and crafts, Ushijima meticulously folded and cut pieces of white tissue-thin paper to make snowflakes. He liked the careful work, although his hyper-focused scowl might indicate otherwise. While Ushijima made decorations for winter, Tendou sat, legs askew, in an auburn rocking chair and read picture books to the pint-sized army sitting at his feet. </p><p>Usually Ushijima read to the flock of children on account of Sachiko’s weak eyes, but it was clear that the kids preferred this new reader. Ushijima didn’t blame them. He couldn’t see the redhead’s exaggerated gestures and facial expressions—which had the power to elicit both hoots of laughter and terrified silence from the kids—but Ushijima enjoyed listening to the various voices he used. </p><p>One moment Tendou’s voice was gentle and high-pitched, yet in the next line of dialogue, he spoke low and straight from the throat: Ushijima imagined that that particular character must have looked like some kind of hulking monster. </p><p>But the best of all was the one in the middle, the narrator, because Tendou used his normal voice for it. Ushijima couldn’t put his finger on <em> why </em> he liked the way the redhead spoke, but he did. Maybe it was because his voice was lively and fun and everything his own voice wasn’t. He stared at the unfinished snowflake he’d been holding for the past five minutes and resumed working.</p><p> </p><p>~~~  </p><p> </p><p>The next week, Ushijima was back at the library, same time as usual. Sachiko sat behind the desk as per usual, but Ushijima’s eyes were immediately drawn to the fiery red hair peeking out from behind a bookshelf. Tendou finished shelving books and stretched those long arms. </p><p><em> I wonder if he plays volleyball</em>, Ushijima thought.</p><p>“Heyo!” He’d spotted the stoic man, who averted his eyes a moment too late.</p><p>Ushijima grunted in response as he started tidying up the library. </p><p>“That’s not much of a hello.” Tendou chuckled, walking closer. He leaned against a wall and watched him carefully dust the tops of the bookshelves where Sachiko couldn’t reach. “Anyway, I’m going to head out for lunch. Wanna come with?”</p><p>“Oh, I ate before I came here.”</p><p>A beat of silence.</p><p>“Oh. See you later, I guess.” </p><p>Ushijima didn’t miss the emotion that flickered in Tendou’s eyes. Sadness, maybe? Disappointment? He couldn’t pinpoint it, but it seemed to drive a stake through his heart. Disliking this gnawing feeling in his chest, he walked to the door and looked out, but Tendou had gone. </p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Ushijima disliked breaking his routine: he’d been doing the same thing for so long and it worked just fine, so why change it? He didn’t see a reason to change until that gangly man sauntered out of his life as quickly as he’d entered it. Ushijima did the unthinkable the following Monday afternoon: he went back to the library. Naturally Sachiko was alarmed. </p><p>“It’s not Saturday, you know.”</p><p>Not one to mince words, Ushijima got straight to the point: “Tendou. Is he in?”</p><p>“Hm?” The young man in question came out of the break room. “I was on my way out, Wakatoshi.” </p><p>“This is his last day working here, dear. He’s moving to Europe.” Sachiko smiled sadly. “We’ll miss you.”</p><p>“I’ll miss you, too. Take care, Sachiko-sensei. I’ll send you a postcard, alright?” Tendou waved at the elderly lady and left without a second glance at Ushijima. </p><p>Reacting without thinking, the olive-haired man followed him outside.</p><p>“Tendou Satori!”</p><p>Tendou paused, slowly turning to face him.</p><p>“I’d like to have lunch with you before you go.” Ushijima stared him down, face stoic and cold. He really didn’t intend to look so intimidating—that’s just how he was. </p><p>“And here I thought you didn’t like me,” Tendou said with a laugh. “You have a strange way of showing your emotions.” Taking a couple of long strides, he closed the gap between them. He procured a pen seemingly out of nowhere and took Ushijima’s hand.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Ushijima asked as the redhead scribbled his phone number on his hand.</p><p>“Call me.” He let go of his hand, “I want to make sure you don’t forget.”</p><p>“How could I forget you?” Ushijima realized too late that he <em> might </em> have misinterpreted his words.</p><p>“…okay, did you mean to be that cute or was it an accident, tough guy?”</p><p>Ushijima didn’t respond, but the smallest of smiles tugged at his lips.</p><p>“Ah, so you can smile! Well, I’ll see you around. Or not,” Tendou said with a playful smile. “But I hope I do!” And he was off. </p><p>“I hope so, too,” Ushijima murmured as he memorized the numbers on his hand.</p><p>
  <em> I hope so, too. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The real-life version of this story did not have a happy ending because I was too shy :( </p><p>I hope you enjoyed my little story! Comments are always appreciated :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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